By Kavita A Chhibber
(Photo Credit: SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images)
The past weeks since the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, have gone in round the clock interviews with people from India and Pakistan from different walks of life. I’ve spent the time talking to Dr. Deepak Chopra, Pakistani cricketer/politician Imran Khan, counter terrorism experts, UK businessman Sir Gulam Noon (who defied death for the fourth time when he escaped from the burning Taj in what seemed a miracle in just the way the events built up)… and of course a cross section of people in India and Pakistan.
While you can read all the outstanding interviews and some other really thought provoking articles on my website, I remember when the initial reportage came in, having read about the previous attacks, and the flooding that left Mumbai paralyzed and other similar attacks across India, I didn’t pay much attention to the headlines for a couple of hours, thinking it was indeed some gang war as the media was reporting; until my brother’s email that one of his close friends was missing on the 6th floor of the Taj came in and that his last contact with her was at 2 a.m. The friend was well known journalist Sabina Sehgal Saikia. Sadly, her body was found 2 days later. Just 10 days earlier, she had gone to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s house to gift her new book to his wife Subhalakshmi Khan (said to me by the Sarod maestro as he was about to leave for her funeral.)
Soon burning questions and a burning city captured the attention of both the national and international media. Terrorism expert Dr. Robert Friedmann said to me he has never seen such prolonged international coverage for an attack in India – not just that, he had not even seen that kind of coverage when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated earlier in 2008, in what was a clear case of political terrorism.
As I called people from all over to get their impressions, one thing emerged with crystal clear precision-while the political leaders in India jumped the gun and immediately started pointing fingers at Pakistan, the people of India were really angry with the breakdown of the political and intelligence system in their own country.
I saw a volcanic anger that I had not seen earlier when a breakdown of infrastructure has happened in any part of India.
While there were some people from the Indian and Pakistani community that sent inflammatory articles, emails and comments to my website, by and large the majority of Indians, no matter what their background, understood that there is a need to separate the state and the government from non state perpetrators of the crime. Most Indians also made the point that they have deep love for the people of Pakistan and recalled the unparalleled hospitality they have been offered every time they visit India. They also said that they realize the Pakistani government is too weak, being run with the blessings of the Military and that the country is now as much a victim of ingrown terrorism: but most Indians were adamant that they cannot excuse the apathy of the state in eliminating these terrorists or those members of the Pakistani government or ISI, that is training these terrorists.
On the Pakistani side, the memories of the ravaged Marriot in Islamabad still fresh in their minds, people were shocked and sympathetic at what happened in India. But that shock and sympathy turned into anger and defensive defiance when the blame game began. The media reporting from India was by and large a prime example of tabloid TV and yellow journalism and a blatant attempt at garnering the highest ratings. Even veteran journalists jumped in the fray-and many people turned into self appointed experts passing judgment, giving an analysis and jumping to all kinds of conclusions while the siege was still on, and little concrete information to base those opinions on.
The Pakistan bashing brought retaliation from Pakistani news media and many Pakistanis I spoke to in the first few days, told me they were convinced the terrorists were Hindus from RSS and BJP paid to create mayhem just before the elections. One told me that Geo TV had specifically conducted an investigation and that the lone captured terrorist wasn’t even from the village in Pakistan as claimed. All these presumptions of course have been refuted, and even more so when former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif acknowledged that indeed the terrorist was Pakistani and his family has been isolated from everyone a few days ago in an interview.
Condoleezza Rice arrived and added fuel to the fire by jumping on the “blame Pakistan” wagon. Rice reprimanded the government like a school Principal scolding an errant child, instead of trying to cool tempers and act as a mediator, and as a representative of a global super power, that would in times such as these, be expected to want peace in the subcontinent and would work towards that-especially when the two countries are nuclear powers. And of course accept that US has to accept a lot of the blame for the current chaos in Afghanistan which has flowed into Pakistan.
But then the reason why a large part of the world, hates America, is because America, said Dr Deepak Chopra to me in a conversation-has only self interests and no allies or friends. He made a lot of sense when he said to me “Right now America’s interests are the World’s interests; our economic system, the economic melt down is telling us now that there is only one economy, the weather patterns are telling us that there is only one ecology; when are we going to learn that there is only one humanity?”
There were many discussions on global terrorism and its Islamic face. Imran Khan (the cricketing legend and now the only Politician people of Pakistan and India respect because of his honesty and integrity) said for the umpteenth time that terrorism has no religion – a sentiment shared by many across the board. He also added that the youngsters many of whom are university graduates, and from middle class families don’t even fit the stereotypical image of the so called Islamic terrorist with a beard. There is a lot more to learn why things are the way they are today.
The spirit of Mumbai was invoked by some, and dismissed by others who said every big city has a similar spirit, where people want to get back to normal, but what remained simmering was an anger at the political system that nurtures corruption and is caught napping again and again at times of need.
The good thing, said one interviewee, is that the elite have been hit this time and so those who fill the coffers of these politicians, especially the corporate head honchos, are now taking a second look at security and terrorism. There are also lawsuits asking for regulation and a strong criticism of the way the media handled coverage, disclosing crucial and sensitive information, that may have caused the death of many in the two hotels as their location and how many security personnel was involved in counter attack came tumbling out on real time reporting.
There was a conciliatory email by Barkha Dutt, a journalist I used to admire once upon a time, but who has joined the ranks of tabloid reporters, where she said that the media reported only what was told to them. At no point were they briefed to keep things off record. While she has a point (and this opens a new discussion on how to train the media and have a close relationship with it in case something of this nature occurs again) it does not take away from the disservice Dutt and similar veteran journalists like her have done. Someone with her experience, should instinctively know when crucial information, if reported, can endanger the lives of others and not wait to be spoon fed by those in authority at what she should and should not say. Unfortunately, her apology came a bit too late and as a preventive measure because public opinion against her may make her head roll as well.
I would like to share some lines from 3 of the interviewees that sprung out at me when the interviews were being conducted. (The links to full interviews are included).
“The first important question is- why is global terrorism predominantly an Islamic phenomenon?
Secondly, what is it that radicalizes young Muslim men in relatively middle class families in Europe, Britain and other places?
Where is the money coming from? It’s very obvious this takes a lot of training, this takes a lot of organization and it is clear that the money pipeline starts in Saudi Arabia in which case we should be asking, “What role does the US play in this?
So as long as America thinks only of its own interests, its never going to have a complete understanding. Right now America’s interests are the World’s interests and they don’t understand that; our economic system, the economic melt down is telling us now that there is only one economy, weather patterns are telling us that there is only one ecology; when are we going to learn that there is only one humanity?“
Imran Khan (Cricket Legend and Pakistani Politician):
“Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. All root causes of terrorism lie in politics.
When they say Islamist terrorists and start looking for a cure in Islam, they are surprised to find that these young terrorists don’t fit the stereotype of the Islamic terrorist with the big beard. Then they are even more shocked when they find that most of the suicide attackers-one half of them according to one estimate-are university graduates. What is happening is that Muslims are getting radicalized and it’s not because of Islamic extremism, it’s because of political issues which are unresolved.
You can always talk about moderate Islam but the struggle between Israel and Palestine is not going to go away unless there is a political resolution; All religions-not just Islam, preach about compassion and justice-no religion wants anyone to kill innocent people or patronize injustice.
To blame a religion is the biggest injustice we do on people of a certain religious community. So when you say Islamist terrorist and try to find solutions in religion you actually make the situation much worse because among the Muslims this war on terror after 9/11 is being perceived as a war against Islam, and when it is perceived as a war against Islam, there will be no shortage of Muslims willing to kill themselves may be to protect their religion. So terrorism needs to be de linked from religion.“
Dr. Robert R. Friedmann (Nationally renowned expert on criminal justice and counter terrorism):
“The implication then is that just because someone is poor they have a justification to become a terrorist. That is atrocious and a tremendous mistake to suggest that. One has to look at political interests, ideologies, who benefits, what are the strategies; just because someone is poor they become terrorists is simply not backed by any facts.
The first distinction is that all terrorist groups have local interests, though I hesitate to say that about Hamas and Hezbollah because if you look carefully at their writing and ideology they clearly veer into the globalization of terrorist objectives.
Society cannot afford to let terrorism become a part of normal living and treat it like vehicular fatalities and do not do too much about it.
I don’t believe that US, Europe, South Africa or Australia, for that matter anyone else can influence Islam and I don’t think it’s their duty either. I would shy away from religion or religious wars. I think what needs to be done is to let moderate voices within Islam carry that battle inside and not to have outsiders tell the Muslims what to do.
Today there is no safe place in the world….While the public safety community understands the threat, I don’t think the public does, in any part of the world-even in Israel.“
While questions, allegations continue, I believe that in the end it boils down to personal responsibility whether it’s a journalist or a politician or the common man who chose the corrupt or inept politicians who rule, who adds to the ratings of sensational programs by watching and listening to them, the rich who pay to get things done. We have in the end become victims of our own apathy and our own disability, to be , as Gandhi said, the change we want to see in the world.
The buck begins and stops with us all.
Other Featured Interviews related to the Mumbai Attacks of 26/11:
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